Executed Irish soldiers close to British pardon

NEARLY 90 years after they were executed for minor offences, 26 Irish soldiers who fought in WWI are close to being pardoned by the British Government.

A group campaigning on behalf of the soldiers yesterday released information which had been hidden for 90 years, showing British officers were granted pardons in WWI for offences such as cowardice, drunkenness and absenteeism. However, Irish soldiers in the British Army were executed for minor offences, such as being absent from parade.

The British Ministry of Defence had always claimed it was not legally possible to issue a retrospective pardon.